Breath of Fire
by Avatar of Adarin
Summary: A retelling of the video game series of the same name. Ryu Bateson, a blue haired teen, embarks on a journey to rescue his sister from the clutches of an evil emperor. Along the way, he uncovers many secrets regarding his sisters past. Who is she really? And what do the Dark Ones want with her? Find out in this exciting exploration of the Breath of Fire universe
1. Prologue

Dark clouds rolled in as lightening crackled across the skies of Edenia. The clouds shed their rain in a heavy downpour over the landscape, causing flooding in some areas, most notably the village of Drogen, situated at the base of the famous Mount Dragnier.

The mountain and its adjacent village were named after a great war between the human race and the dragons, who were little more than savage beasts at the time. The climax of the war took place in that very region millennia earlier, though devastation caused by their fighting still scarred the landscape.

Suddenly, a fully grown gray dragon bellowed its fearsome roar atop Mt. Dragnier and took to the skies. It tore through the clouds leaving only wisps in its wake. The dragon descended upon the village of Drogon and, at that moment, a young man in his early teenage years watched in awe as the elder wyrm opened its mouth and he could see its flames begin to crackle out of its maw.

He braced himself for his death by a breath of fire, but instead the flames passed through him, warming him to his core. He felt strangely at peace as it happened, and he found himself embracing his end.

"Arise young one," he heard the dragon speak. Reality began to blur as the blue haired boy began to char under the intense heat, yet he continued to feel no pain as his skin blackened and cracked.

The red wyrm landed mere feet in front of the boy, who remained emotionless as he was cooked alive. Even the ground trembled in fear at the creature's arrival. It eyed its prey with interest for a moment and suddenly lurched forward and whipped its wings at the child, who was struck by an opposable digit located at the tip of the immense creature's wings. The digit, complete with a three inch long claw, pierced through the boys shoulder, and used the muscles in its wing to pin the boy down. All the while, the flames erupting from the dragons mouth never ceased their inferno.

"Your village is under siege by the Dark Ones," it added as the voice began to take on a feminine sound.

The long face of the dragon began to shrink and reshape itself. The body, as well, took a new form - a much more familiar one. The face rounded and sprouted something similar to ears, then the amorphous dragons color became a shiny jet black. The tail disappeared into the dragon's body. Its teeth lost their keen edge and it began to grow long locks of hair. Blue hair.

"You'll perish if you don't wake up!" the dragon roared.

The claw which pierced his shoulder became a hand that grabbed it so hard it caused him pain. The hand shook him, bringing him closer to reality.

His surroundings continued to warp, and eventually he found himself in his bedroom, safe and sound.

"Wake up child," said a stern matronly voice. It was more of an order than a request. When Ryu opened his eyes, he saw a tall, elderly woman dressed in the priestly garbs of the Church of St. Eva. He instantly recognized her.

"Grandmother?" he called out to his ancestor, who shared the same blue hair, groggily. At sixty two years old, she had dedicated her life to the calling of Saint Eva and had since proven to be among the most gifted in the divine arts during her apprenticeship. Lately, however, it would seem her age had begun to catch up with her. "What is it? It's the middle of the ni..."

She covered her grandson's mouth, pressing her pointer finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet. She tip-toed to Ryu's dresser and quickly grabbed an outfit, tossing it on top of him. He threw the tattered robes on hastily, and slid into his wooden sandals on the side of the bed.

"Disaster has struck," she whispered as he got ready. "We need the power of the dragon."

"Grandmother," he whispered hesitantly. "What's going on?"

"The village is engulfed in flames! Everything is burning! We must go, Ryu." She paused for effect. "NOW!" she added, in the loudest whisper she could muster.

Ryu and his grandmother crept towards the door and as the door slid open the entire atmosphere seemed to change, going from dark and cold to bright and hot. Flames licked into the room and the woman instinctively covered Ryu, suffering only superficial burns to her robes.

Ryu broke free from her grasp as the flames subsided, then remembered his own burns and checked himself to remind him that it was only just a dream.

His grandmother, whose name was Esma, said a prayer to her patron saint, the goddess Myria, and asked her for her protection. Only the priestesses of the church of St. Eva were taught the ways of speaking to the Gods and sometimes they answered back. Rarely did the Gods listen to the non-devout, but it had happened and those times that it did, it was viewed by Edenia's people as blessings from the Gods.

They made a left out of the doorway, and as the pair headed down the hallway, a large flaming support beam fell between the two. Esma lurched down the stairs to avoid getting crushed under the weight of the beam and suffered considerable damage due to her age. Ryu, however, was not so quick to react.

"Ryu!" she screamed, more out of fear for her grandson than from her aching bones. She ignored her numerous cuts and bruises, specifically the large knot on her head, as she forced herself to her feet. She could hear her grandson's cries but whether they were from fear or pain, she could not say.

The old woman extended her frail right arm and wiggled each of her fingers, chanting something inaudible under her breath. Something similar to rain trickled from the ceiling and landed on the flames that engulfed the beam.

The fire on the staircase subsided, as well as Ryu's cries. Esma limped her way up the stairs to inspect the steaming log, which greatly reduced her visibility. At that moment, she feared her grandchild's silence far worse than any dragon.

Then she heard him coughing.

"Ryu! Are you okay?" she screamed, still concerned, as most grandparents would be.

"I'm still alive if that's what you mean," he answered, chuckling yet still coughing his lungs up.

"Thank the Gods..." she mumbled to herself as she scanned through the now-dissipating steam."My magic was once strong but at my age I can barely douse this fire," she chuckled, the tension over her grandsons fate having been lifted. She soon found him and helped him over the charred beam. "Quickly, come..."

The pair descended the steps and opened the door at the bottom of the staircase, which led into a room that was seemingly untouched by the fire. There were four other people inside the room, each of which Ryu recognized.

Eljhin, the village elder and chief, stood at the front of the assembly. He looked to be Esma's senior, and given his title that was likely true. He wore a tan-colored cloak with a dark brown fringe around the wrists and hood.

"This section of the building is safe from the flames for the time being," he cut straight to the point. "Your sister," he eyed Ryu, "has been working to protect this building with runic inscriptions, in the event of a situation just like this."

"Clearly she failed to finish the job. The whole top half of the building will be gone in less than a half hour!" complained an overweight man in the audience. As most people guessed from his stature, he was the butcher for the village of Drogen. Everyone in town knew the man as Billi, though his real name was Billian - a name that only his father had the gall to call him.

"Calm yourself Billian. The inscriptions had not been finished before the Dark Ones fell upon us," Eljhin scolded his son. Regardless, this section of the house can be used as a sanctuary while we rebuild."

"But the fire is so intense! Are you sure it'll hold up?" one of the women, Vareesa, asked. She was in her late twenties and positioned next to her twin sister, Vanessa, who undoubtedly dressed in matching outfits only to further confuse everyone in the village. They both wore green dresses, and both were smudged with soot.

"Listen. We don't know what caused the fire, but Esma's magic will hold!" Eljhin finished the argument.

"Or at least long enough for us to escape," Billi added, refusing to let his father get the last word.

"The people here are safe!" Eljhin glared at his son.

"We woke up surrounded by flames. What did we do to deserve this?" Vanessa asked.

"We survived," Esma replied, matter-of-factually. "Has anyone heard from my granddaughter?"

At that moment, the front door burst open and two more villagers ran in. One of them, a blue haired female, situated herself next to Ryu and Esma.

"Speak of the devil..." Esma said with a grin. She knew her granddaughter hated that expression.

The other newcomer Ryu did not recognize, although he seemed to know his sister well enough.

"Not the time, grandmother!" she yelled, clearly agitated.

"Calm yourself Sara. Tell us what has happened."

"We're not the only ones... The Dark Ones are moving to take the whole region. Camlon's already been occupied... and... and..."

"Spit it out Sara!" the village chief shouted, clearly impatient.

"Oh, the humanity..." uttered Sara's friend.

"They're outside the village! We're surrounded!" she finally managed to say.

"The Dark Ones are scheming against the other families," Vanessa finally chimed in. "Sara, who's your friend?" At that point, the man who came in with her gathered his composure.

"My name is Laurent. I'm the general of Camlon's army. Or was, rather... There is no more army!" His eyes glossed over, reliving the pain of watching his men die at the hands of Zog's forces. "I am the only one left..."

"I had heard that Zog had vowed to conquer the world by years end but I took it as gossip. You know how the villagers talk..." Laurent finished.

"And why did he plan on taking over this region first? Doesn't he know that we lost the power of the Dragon Soul?" asked Eljhin.

"Either he doesn't know or doesn't care..." Billi cut in.

"Does it really matter? Our people are outside dying!" cried Laurent

"Either way, he fears us!" Eljhin thought out loud.

"Then why is this self-proclaimed Dragon King trying to destroy us?" Ryu chimed in.

"Because if we did have the Dragon Soul then we would be the only thing standing in his way!" Esma explained.

"Zog is an evil fool! He knows nothing!" the village chief shouted, pounding a fist into an open palm.

"I won't sit by while they attack us. I say we act now!" pleaded Ryu's grandmother. "If we can't escape there's only one thing to do..."

"Then let's take the fight to them!" Laurent suggested.

"I will... No, I must... use my magic against the Dragon King's forces. Let's go!" Esma said. She didn't wait for the audience's approval. She stood up and stormed towards the door.

"We are too weak," Sara said plainly, grabbing her ancestor by the wrist to stop her in her tracks. "Our group would be devastated by their powerful army. We can't give up! Let's show them our will to live."

"C'mon Sara. Let's go!" agreed Laurent, who unsheathed his longsword for effect.

"No!" Sara held her ground. "I must do my part on my own."

At that moment, her eyes began to glow a white light. She held up her open palm, facing it towards Laurent, and closed her fingers. By the time her fingers touched her palm, Laurent had been turned into stone.

"What have you done?" the chief asked Sara as the others watched in horror at the turn of events.

"I've turned him into stone so that the fire will not affect him should my runes not hold up. Remember our mission, Eljhin."

"Stone or not, they'll still find us!" There was truth behind Billi's smart remarks.

But it was too late. The spell was complete and everyone save Ryu and Sara were turned into stone.

"No! Why does is it have to be you?" Ryu asked, pleading for his sister to stay.

"We've suffered enough, brother. I'll take care of the Dark Ones."

That was the last thing Ryu remembered before he too succumbed to the effects of the spell. His right arm was petrified, reaching out to his sister.

"Be strong. When you grow into a warrior, you'll bring peace to the world... Take care, brother." She made her way to the door, yet continued talking as she did so. "May the power of the Dragon Soul protect us all..."

And then Sara walked outside to single-handedly face the Dragon King's army.

"I'll try to distract the Dark One's soldiers," Sara thought to herself, as she slammed the door to draw as much attention to herself as possible.

"Hey! Someone's there!" one of the soldiers shouted, drawing the attention of three more soldiers.

There were four soldiers, that she could see, who instantly noticed the blue haired woman leaving the building. They each drew their swords and the ring of steel drew her attention to them and she knew her only way to protect her friends and family was to end this now.

"She has the Dragon Soul! I can feel its power emanating off of her!" the first soldier said, as he grabbed her by the wrist.

The soldiers were wearing a dull gray armor that looked like it was once brilliant but it had long since lost its luster. There was blue decal on their helms and in the center of their breastplates there was a design, a bright blue comet-like fireball descending, surrounded by a banner of dark blue, the same hue as that used on their helms.

"Take her to the commander!" the second soldier ordered the others.

At that point, the third soldier grabbed her other wrist and the two escorted her south, towards the village entrance. The leader situated himself to her front, and the other covered her rear. They were being cautious because they weren't sure how many other villagers were still hiding in the area and didn't want to deal with losing their prisoner.

"We'll search the area later. We must take care of her now."

They continued to escort her south and when they arrived at the entrance, they were greeted by two more soldiers, who wore the same armor as the others, and another more spectacularly dressed individual.

"Sir, we've captured one of them," the leader of the escort reported.

"You set fire to our community. What do you gain from this?" Sara asked bluntly.

"Straight to the point, are we?" answered the soldier who was dressed in a golden armor with pauldrons crafted of something akin to crystal. He had the same emblem on his chest and, but the helm itself was more elegant. It had a lock of long blonde hair to hung lower than, but matched the color of, his own blonde hair. He also sported a cape of a deep dark blue with a gold fringe, and a large broadsword that he had to hold with both hands.

"She has a point," the commander agreed, looking between his soldiers, finally ending his gaze at Sara. His eyes glowed with a fire.

"My orders were to eliminate all of your family, and, well..." he paused to laugh, "I always follow orders."

Sara had had enough. She balled her fist up and tried to calm herself. Bolts of lightning surged through her closed fist and the soldier holding that arm became startled.

"I'm just doing my job. Please don't blame me," he whispered.

Soon lightning fell from the sky striking the guard who blocked Sara from the front. Another bolt followed shortly after barely missing the guard in the back of their formation.

Almost instantly, the four remaining guards decided to run. They made a break for their midnight drake mounts. Though those creatures were mere beasts compared to the great dragon families, which were sentient creatures with a social hierarchy, they still made great siege weapons when piloted during war. Many midnight drakes were raised in entire clutches by the Dark Ones and many believe that to be the reason behind Zog's title, the Dragon King.

Two more lightning bolts struck out, this time at the soldiers who were holding her hands, and both died horrible deaths, the electricity surging through their armor. The final soldier made it to his drake, and even managed to hop on before being pierced by a fifth straight to his back. It coursed through him and passed into the drake before exiting into the ground.

The other drake mounts flew away in fear of their family member being cooked. One, however, remained. One which appeared to be different from the others. The drake which stood its ground was jet black. It was the commander's mount.

The commander raised his sword in defiance. "Show me what your made of witch!" He charged forward.

Sara continued to channel her lightning spell. She had learned everything she knew from her grandmother, Esma, and still had the spirit and vigor of youth that Esma had since lost.

The commander rolled to the right, dodging the bolt that would have otherwise been spot-on. Sara had never seen anyone move so fast before, not even those of the Grassrunner clan whom she had witnessed, with her own eyes, sprinting at twice the speed as any human.

And this man was clearly not of the Grassrunner clan.

She continued raining lightning from the sky and the clouds began to darken. The electricity surging through her fists was now coursing up her arms and crossing her shoulders. It bolted down into her from the clouds and she became the lightning's conductor.

Bolt after bolt fell from the sky, some aiming at the commander, some trying to predict where he'd dodge next but she never seemed to hit her target. This infuriated her because she never missed a target unintentionally.

"Wow... You're strong!" the commander said, clapping, but clearly unimpressed.

She tried to strike him again and decided to channel the lightning running through her. She pulled the bolt out of the ground and whipped it towards the commander, but he jumped over it as if it were a child's game.

"Come on!" shouted Sara, who was more than agitated.

"I can't let you interfere with Zog's plans. Nothing personal," he replied with a grin. He was a mere ten feet away now and Sara had to try a new tactic.

Instantly, the lightning stopped and the clouds whitened. She shifted her stance and threw an open palm forward and a medium-sized fireball burst from her finger tips.

"We will stop you!" she screamed as she released the fireball.

He dodged the new spell like it was even less difficult than the lightning, and then stood completely still, as if to taunt Sara.

"I don't think so," he played with his sword, jutting it into the ground and leaning on it. "Can I tell you a secret?" he asked mockingly. "Of course I can... We have the Goddess Keys!"

Sara knew all too well what that meant.

When the dragons were at the peak of their power, a goddess of desire appeared and watched the civil war between the dragons escalate. The goddess Tyr granted the dragons wishes and, in turn, fought each other over her power.

When the world was at the brink of destruction, a warrior stepped forward. The warrior battled Tyr alongside seven companions and locked her away using six keys.

Those Goddess Keys were scattered throughout the world and hidden away.

The dragons who decided it best to not use, rather than abuse, the wishes granted by the goddess Tyr promised to watch over the ones who did not comply. The power was balanced and peace reigned again for a time. But it would seem that that balance had shifted again.

"The Goddess Keys?!" she shrieked, unable to contain her fear.

"You're a pretty good sorcerer, honestly. It's a shame your on the wrong side," the commander stated. He inched his way towards Sara, his sword held high again.

"Don't come any closer!" she said, regaining her composure. "What will you do with the goddess Tyr?"

"It's all over Sara. You mustn't worry..." He began to sprint towards his rival.

"Take this, slime!" shouted Sara as she unleashed her latest fireball this one much larger than the last.

The commander kept running straight for her, regardless of the burning gas in his path, and took the fireball straight to the chest. He didn't miss a step.

"You didn't even flinch!"

"C'mon..." he said with a sinister grin, as his body smoked from the impact of the fireball. "Is that all you've got?" He began to cackle maniacally.

He closed the gap between Sara and himself and smashed the hilt of his sword into her temple.

An unknown amount of time later, the sanctuary remained eerily quit. As Billi had guessed, the top half of the building had failed to hold, but the section of the house under Esma's protection stood strong. Sara's petrification spell, however, began to wear off - starting with Laurent - and one by one the villagers were turned back into flesh and blood.

"What's going on?" Laurent asked Ryu, assuming he knew something more. "What happened to Sara?"

"She saved us!" Vareesa spoke up.

"Chief, don't you think that we should fight for Sara?" her sister, Vanessa, chimed in but Esma stepped forward to answer in his place.

"We renounced the dragons ages ago. Their battles aren't ours. Sara has made up her mind."

"But we must fight for Sara and the pride of our people!" Billi countered.

"We must think of survival." Esma looked outside, displaying what was once the proud village of Drogen. "Soon this place will be in ruins."

The villagers contested but, as if in answer, the foundation beneath them began to shake. They quickly moved the conversation outside, where Ryu eyed the chief defiantly.

"I have to know what's become of my sister, Eljhin." It sounded like a question but the village chief knew it wasn't.

"Don't Ryu... You have no idea how powerful the Dark Ones armies are. What can one man, a child at that, hope to accomplish?" The chief didn't intend to insult the boy but he felt as if letting the boy leave was to let him die and he would do anything to prevent that.

"If I could give my life to insure my sisters safety, I would do just that." Ryu wasn't backing down. "She's too important to people's survival..."

"But," his grandmother didn't even want to think about it, and so Eljhin stepped in to finish the sentence for her.

"Ryu, we don't even know that she's still alive."

"I know, but I have to try..."

"I know that I should continue to try to stop you, but I can't... Like your sister, you have already made your mind up," Esma gave in.

"Take this," the village chief said, handing him a small leather satchel sealed with a string. "It's not much, but you can use it to pay for your stays in whatever inn you may find yourself in."

Ryu searched inside of the satchel and found that it contained three hundred zenny, the most common currency found in Edenia. The average inn price was between sixty and seventy copper so, indeed, Eljhin's gift would last quite a while if Ryu managed his money well.

"This is for you too." Vanessa handed him a finely crafted short-sword, encased in an elaborate sheath, that she had crafted herself. Unlike Billi, she didn't look the part of her profession one bit but she was actually one of the most sought after blacksmiths this region had to offer.

Ryu inspected the gift. The sword had a strong and straight blade. It sported a keen double-edge and yet still maintained its sharp tip. He slid the blade back into its sheath which was made of an orange-stained leather. Its hilt was crafted from the regions finest gold, which Ryu assumed was probably from the mines deep inside of Aura Cave.

The thought of where the blade came from sent chills down his spine. Ryu had bad memories in those mines which he cared not to relive. He shrugged the thoughts off and thanked Vanessa and Eljhin for their gifts and Esma followed suit.

"It's not really a gift, but these are your things." His grandmother tossed him a pack filled with some of his clothes, a tunic and boots that would be better suited for travel than the sandals he now wore. "I found these in the wreckage before the spell your sister cast on you had ended."

"Thank you grandmother."

He quickly got changed, showing no shame in doing so in public, yet the others still looked away out of respect. The outfit Esma had found was one of Ryu's favorites; a white tunic with gold fringe at the ends of its short sleeves and the base of the tunic itself, which covered him halfway down his thighs.

Inside the bag he also found a gold belt, to which he attached his new swords sheath after putting it on. He also found his favorite red cloak inside, which he wrapped around his neck and let it hang over his back.

He looked ready to go, physically at least, but emotionally was another story. He stared deep into his ancestor's eyes, looking for her approval.

"Go on, Ryu! We'll stay here and start rebuilding. Come back if you need a rest," she said with a big smile. He nodded in response.

"Zog will be brought to justice soon." The chief hoped his words would ring true but he honestly doubted it. "Good luck, warrior!"

And he truly looked the part of it now.

He tied up part of his hair but let the lowest layers of his long locks hang halfway down his back. As he did so, Billi stepped forward and shook Ryu's hand.

"Ugh..." Billi blushed. "I feel horrible. I have nothing to give you."

"Billi..." Ryu laughed. "You have the most important thing of all!" He rubbed his stomach as he said so. Billi got the hint.

"I think I could probably spare some jerky!" he said, running to go get it. Ryu couldn't help but laugh at the overweight man sprinting over the horizon.

"Your son's a riot, Elder," he said, holding the back of his head with his right hand while laughing.

"Tell me about it," Eljhin said and the whole group thought that hysterical.

"Ryu, all I have for you is knowledge," Vareesa explained. "Zog's empire is beyond the ocean. It will be a long journey but you can head to Nanai. It's a port town to the north, but to get there you have to get to Camlon first, and then head northeast and it's just over the river. You can catch a boat from there though."

"Good to know. That ought to come in handy,"

Eventually, Ryu said his goodbyes and headed out on his quest. As he got just far enough away that he could barely see the smoke from Drogen on the horizon, he stopped for a moment to look back.

He wondered why his sister would risk her life in that manner. He wondered what it was that she knew that would make her act in such a way. He had no idea. But he wanted to find out.

He said a prayer to St. Eva for protection from harm upon himself and his friends and family in Drogen and set back on his course for Nanai.


	2. The Storm

The whole day had passed without incident but night had fallen and Ryu quickly realized he forgot one of the most important rules of traveling on Edenia's roads at night - bring camping equipment. And if he had a flint and tinder he could've sparked a campfire which would've helped to ward off thieves and the wild things.

The night only got more taxing on the young boy's spirit as the rain came and the temperature dropped drastically. He had just about given up hope, his drenched cloak only hindering him in the current weather rather than keeping him warm, when a lightning bolt illuminated the field.

The field he was in was huge but it was lined on two sides with thick groves of trees. He saw a few wild animals, namely what he thought were raccoons, scurry about from the sudden shock of thunder.

The most notable feature he could see, further up the field, was a small house billowing smoke out of its chimney. The smoke called out to him, promising him warmth and dry conditions. He fought his pride and eventually decided he didn't have another option. He shifted his path towards the small house.

Ryu couldn't help but to be reminded of Drogen. The house looked just like the ones that could be found in his home town: two stories tall, with the first story built of masonry stone and the second story built of wooden logs. This house, however, had its lower level covered with a thick green moss on the east side, which was where the front door was located.

As he got closer, Ryu could see two candles burning in each of the main floors windows with an even brighter flame dancing behind them, more than likely from the fireplace. It looked like whoever lived in this house was awake and Ryu thanked the Gods for his luck.

He knocked on the large wooden door, the top of which was easily four feet over his head. A crack of thunder drowned out the sound of his knocking and so he continued to do so. Eventually, he heard the sound of footsteps inside the home, mixed with something that sounded like a deep and raspy voice mumbling. All he made out was "...at this hour!" It wasn't until then that Ryu realized that it had been past midnight.

Eventually the door swung open and a very large man hung in the doorway that was clearly custom-made to allow for his comings and goings.

"Yes?" the burly man asked, somewhat confused by his visitor.

"I realize that it's late sir and I apologize but," Ryu rang his hair out for effect. "It's kind've wet out," he added with a chuckle.

"That it is," the man laughed. "Come on in, son. Let's at least get you dry." He led him into the house, which was overly large for any normal human but not so much for the home owner who easily stood over seven feet tall. "What did you say your name was?"

He didn't, but he decided not to press the matter. "Ryu Bateson."

"Well, Ryu, the names Bunyan. Pleasure to meet ya'," the man said, extending his massive arm forward. Ryu accepted the handshake. "So, what brings you out to these parts? And in this great weather, nonetheless..."

"I'm looking for my sister. I have reason to believe she has been taken captive by the Dark Ones," Ryu answered, figuring honesty to be his best friend in this situation. Nobody in the region was fond of Dark Ones, especially now.

"This sister of yours... She must be pretty important, I take it."

"Moreso than what I know, it would seem."

"What d'ya mean?"

"Well, she risked her life to save us." He added, "The villagers of Drogen," when Bunyan seemed confused. "But why would they take her? Wouldn't it have been easier to kill her and get it over with?"

Now that Ryu could see Bunyan in the light, he could see that the man was bigger than he had thought. He was easily over eight feet tall, and was half as wide. His dark brown robes were the same color as his disheveled hair, which was only a few inches in length in contrast to his foot-long unkempt beard.

"How do you know they didn't?" Bunyan asked. "Finish her, I mean."

"Well if they did I wasn't able to locate her body."

"And if they took her then there must be a reason why."

"Exactly."

While they were talking, Bunyan went to fiddle with something in the corner of the room while Ryu stayed by the fire, warming his bones. When Bunyan returned he threw him a dry pair of pants and a shirt.

"Hang your things by the fire to dry. I'll make us some food."

"You really don't need to Bunyan."

"Enough... Any enemy of the Dark Ones is a friend of mine! My friends," he paused, emphasizing the last part. "I always feed my friends!" he added with a welcome smile. "You'll stay the night, or at least until the storm stops and I'll hear nothing more of it."

"Thank you sir," Ryu gave in.

"There are no sirs here son. My friends call me Baba."

Ryu got changed and did as he was told. He joined Bunyan at the dinner table, which was situated between the kitchen and the living room but, in actuality, the lower level of the house was really just one big room.

Bunyan had set the table with a decent sized portion of some kind of stew. As Ryu dined he couldn't help but appreciate the man's cooking expertise. After eating Billi's beef jerky all day, which he had given him three pounds of, Bunyan's stew was simply divine.

"So where are you headed to?" the burly man asked over supper.

"To Nanai," he finished chewing what he had in his mouth. "I'm going to stop in Camlon for a night to rest and gather some supplies, but ultimately I need to catch a boat headed for Scande."

"Scande?!" Bunyan choked on his food. "That's a rough neighborhood, son. The town is run by Zog and his Dark Ones."

"That's the point!" Ryu countered. "If Sara's still alive, that's where they'd take her."

"Well, friend... I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the Dragon King has already laid claim to Nanai. His forces are occupying the city as we speak."

"Great," Ryu replied, sarcastically.

"Actually, it might work in your favor."

"How so?" Ryu questioned as he finished his stew.

"Well, think about it this way. If Zog controls the port, they have to bring troops in somehow. And how do you think those reinforcements are getting there?" Bunyan stood up from the table, grabbed Ryu's empty bowl, and headed over to wash the dishes in a wash basin placed in the half of the large room that served as Bunyan's kitchen.

It wasn't hard to figure out where he was going with it.

"Chances are that there are more ferries between Nanai and Scande than there were before," Ryu finished his thought for him. "So how is this bad news?"

"Should they catch you inside of city limits, they'll take you right to Scande, alright. But it'll be straight to the dungeons for you!"

Ryu weighed the pros and cons of his inevitable decision.

"But if I do succeed in sneaking aboard one of their boats, it'll put me right where I need to be..."

"Just think about it, son." He finished the dishes and grabbed Ryu a thick wool blanket, handing it to him as he waved toward the ground in front of the fireplace. "Sorry I don't have more furniture but I don't usually get so many guests."

"There were others?"

"Yeah, refugees from Nanai. There are two of them, odd folks at that. They're upstairs, asleep by now no doubt, but you'll meet them in the morning."

With that Bunyan went upstairs and headed to bed. Ryu laid in front of the fire and used his nearly dried pack as a pillow. He thought about all that he had learned that night and thanked the Gods for answering his prayers. Surely, St. Eva had protected him from the storm and with good cause too. It was likely that the knowledge of Nanai being occupied would save his life.

When Ryu awoke the next morning it was to the smell of bacon. He could hear it sizzling in what he assumed to be a pan. The scent coupled with playful chatter was what initially woke him up but by then he was already pulling a seat up to join Bunyan, taking the seat across from his host, and his other guests.

He had seen their kind before but every time he did he was shocked like he never had. The two people, who sat across from each other, laughed and bantered like the best of friends. The two folk could pass as humans at a quick glance, albeit at both extremes, but experience told Ryu otherwise.

"Politics aside, I think that someone should give him a nice thwack wit' a hammer," the abnormally short man continued his thought as if Ryu hadn't just joined them.

"You would prefer a weapon over words," said the taller one, who was only a half a head shorter than Bunyan but nowhere near as stocky. "Diplomacy could solve all our problems!"

"Ahh, good morning Ryu," Bunyan said, inadvertently introducing the blue haired boy. "I'd like you to meet my friends from Adaal, the southern continent. This here," he motioned to the short one, "is Doel."

The man was clearly of the dwarven Steamstout clan. He had a long blonde beard which he stroked in deep thought. He wore a rather finely crafted suit of plate mail that covered his entire body, save his head. The helm, however, sat on the table next to his plate, Doel's white cape hung from his neck, much like how Ryu wore his own, only his touched the ground due to his short stature.

"And I am Bae'run." The taller one didn't wait for his host's introduction.

Bae'run was elegantly dressed, like that of a noble. He wore a gold [ninja outfit] with a black belt which would serve as the perfect camouflage if Bae'run were ever in some sort of desert. His most defining features were his long pointy ears and his bushy eyebrows which told Ryu that he was a member of the Lightfoot clan, which consisted of mostly elves though talented members of other races were admitted occasionally.

His figure was slender but, by the way that he walked, Ryu could tell that he had much more training than his physique would imply. He noted that from the moment he joined them at the table, Bae'run kept his hand in his pocket, probably toying with a weapon should Ryu's presence go awry.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Ryu," Bae'run said, though he couldn't sound less interested in Ryu's opinion.

Both the dwarves and the elves, Ryu knew, were among Edenia's eldest races. Long before humanity arose, or so he had been told by his grandmother, both species had banded together to protect the world from disaster.

According to the tales, the leaders of their respective races, who had been at war for centuries prior, had called a truce due to Edenia being invaded by demons from another realm. The demons were unleashed upon the world by Myria, the goddess of desire, when the son of the elven king had wished for his father's demise so that he could ascend the throne.

The prince, not knowing of the events of the Goddess War that lead to Myria's descent into madness, prayed to her and his wish was granted but not how he had assumed it would pan out.

The goddess had opened a rift between Edenia and a realm of demons and unleashed them upon the entire world to obliterate the princes desired kingdom along with the king. Though he got his wish, he no longer had a kingdom to rule. The Landless King, as the former prince was dubbed, ultimately met his demise from the same demons that Myria had used to grant his wish.

The dwarves came to the aid of those elves that remained, their kingdom also threatened, and together with the ogres became the First Clan. As time went on the alliance disbanded, though they remained on friendly terms, forming the Lightfoot, Steamstout, and Carpenter clans, the rest came much later.

"So what are people from Adaal doing all the way up here?" Ryu asked the travelers.

"I have lived in Nanai now for years. I am an ambassador for the king of Wyndia who works towards relations with the people of Nanai," Bae'run explained.

"And I'm the muscle," the dwarf said, displaying his arms of a warrior. Clearly Doel was the elf's bodyguard.

"Anyway," Bunyan cut in. "Like I said, Ryu here is heading for Nanai too. Might as well let 'em tag along."

"You good people?" Doel sized Ryu up.

"Good enough," he answered with a grin.

"Aye. Sense o' humor on that one! He's fine by me," Doel approved, sealing his vote with a swig of his breakfast ale, a custom of his clan.

"It never hurt to have an extra pair of hands, I suppose," Bae'run thought out loud.

"It's settled then. I could loan you my bulla so you can keep up?" Bunyan offered.

"Perfect!" the elven emissary answered for Ryu.

Bulla looked like monstrous bulls as their name implied, but they had rough leathery lizard-like skin that was an obnoxious shade of dark purple. They sported two sharp horns that were curved forward and another, smaller horn on the tip of its snout pointed towards the sky, atop their heads to defend themselves with. Another notable difference between bulls and bulla were their lack of hooves. Instead they had legs and paws more similar to large feline creatures which allowed them to be more agile rather than fast.

Ryu finished his meal, changed back into his own clothes, grabbed his things, and returned Bunyan's outfit. The three travelers followed their host outside to the stables that were on the west side of the building, where Bunyan began to saddle the bulla that Ryu would be riding.

"I want you to bring my bulla back here, understand? This," he said as he tossed a small bad with a draw string in Ryu's direction. " You can keep."

He pulled the draw string out and looked inside of it. Flint and tinder. That brought a warm smile to Ryu's face.

"Thanks friend," he replied, choosing his words from the way Bunyan had spoke to him the night before. "I won't forget this."

Ryu mounted the bulla as his companions did the same with their own horses. They said their goodbyes, and headed northwest for Camlon, the last rest stop Ryu was likely to encounter before he would risk his life to sneak aboard a ship in Nanai headed for Scande.

Little of interest happened during the trip and Doel and Bae'run seemed to have left their voices at Bunyan's cabin. They hadn't said a word to Ryu for hours, talking only amongst themselves and riding quite a bit in front of him and his own mount. Ryu thought it odd but chalked it up to their horse's impatience at waiting up for the slower bulla.

Eventually, they slowed up and kept pace with him. Doel broke the silence when they were about an hour away from Camlon.

"We're headin' to Camlon to meet up with the other refugees. We're mountin' an offensive to retake the city," he said, with his faint accent.

"From what Bunyan told us at breakfast, we gathered that you may need a distraction to get onto that boat you're looking for. We can help," Bae'run added.

"Are you serious? That would be unbelievable," said Ryu.

"Don't get too excited lad. It's not 'cause we like you or anything. We want our life back."

Doel ended the conversation just as quickly as he started it. They rode ahead of him for the remainder of the trip and didn't say another word until they arrived at the gates of Camlon.

The walls that surrounded the city weren't quite like Ryu remembered them either. The place had been bombarded by what looked to be fireballs spit by a dragon.

There were smaller injuries to the cities walls that didn't harm it's integrity but those fireballs were probably from midnight drakes. The larger ones were from something much, much larger. A fully grown dragon could have been the only thing that would have left a mark that big.

There were four people standing outside the gateway, all human, all checking out the same cracks that Ryu was moments ago. Then one of them noticed the three travelers.

"Who goes there?" one of them yelled.

"Refugees. From Nanai and Drogen," Doel yelled back, hands cupping his mouth.

Both parties kept walking towards one another. Two were armed with swords and were clearly guards, two were civilians: one finely dressed, the other in tattered clothes. Oddly, the rugged civilian stepped forward first.

"Welcome to what's left of Camlon. We were raided, boss," the human said to them.

"What's happened?" Bae'run asked back.

"Well, we've escaped one dangerous situation only to face another one," the elfs apparent comrade explained.

The other, finely dressed, villager approached Ryu at that point. He placed an arm on his shoulder.

"Please help us!" the man pleaded.

"The castle here was raided by the Dark Ones not long after we arrived, boss. They followed us here and took it out on the town when they couldn't find us," the civilian continued reporting to the elf and Doel.

"I say we fight," one of the guards explained as he walked up.

"I know where your coming from. Nanai has been occupied by the Dark Ones. They now control the city," Bae'run explained. "I will aid in whatever way I can."

"I agree... I'll help ya'," Doel said, reaching for the axe on his back. "You comin' Blue Boy?l

Ryu looked down to his sword and placed his hand on the hilt. He clenched it in fear. It had been so long since he had vowed never to use a sword again, but given his mission its use was inevitable but he just hoped it wouldn't have been so soon.

Ryu had another sister, Yua, who was much younger than him. She had disappeared a few years ago. Ryu and Yua had went on a camping trip one day in the Lament Woods. When he had woken up the second day into the trip she was just gone. He looked for a while, and eventually mourned his loss. He tried not to worry anymore, assuming that she had died, but he had tried to find her and deep down inside he knew that she was still alive.

"What are you gonna do about those stinking monsters?" the finely dressed man asked.

"We need strong fighters to chase the creatures from the castle," the finely dressed man explained.

"Well? Ya' comin' or what?" impatiently repeated the dwarf.

Ryu unsheathed his sword and walked toward the village gate but as he walked past the guards he stopped.

"Show me where the castle is," he asked one, and the guard nodded, leading them into the city with the other guard and the civilians.

"That's the spirit boy," the dwarf said, grinning.

The three travelers were escorted just outside of the castle of Camlon. The king was there, albeit pounding on the large double doors and shouting. while another guard watched after. He was dressed in gold and furs and an extravagant crown, but he finally gave up. He collapsed and began to cry.

"The Dark Ones destroyed my kingdom," he said. "One of their commanders is sitting in my throne as I speak."

Ryu walked up to the king and rested his arm on the hunched over king's shoulder.

"Don't worry, your highness. We got this," Ryu said cockily as he looked back to Doel. "Don't suppose you got a battering ram in that bag of yours?"

"I can do ya one better Blue Boy," answered Doel as he set his bag on the cobblestone path. He rustled through it for a moment and pulled out several small sticks.

It took a moment to realize that Doel wasn't holding sticks at all. He was gonna blow the doorway down with dynamite.

"You folks might wanna' back up," Doel informed the others, as a wicked smile crossing over his face.


	3. The Mist

The boom was heard throughout the city and, no doubt, warned the throne's usurper of an eminent attack. The smoke began to dissipate and Ryu noticed a wide grin spread across Doel's face.

"There's your battering ram, boy," the dwarf smirked. The large double doors, that had been the entrance to the castle, had been blasted open. Chunks of wood and steel flew through the sky but no one was hurt because they had all ran to the other edge of the drawbridge when they saw that the dynamite was lit and, in turn, ducked behind a wall.

After it had settled, however, the king, his guard, and the three travelers returned to the doorway. From the outside the castle's interior could barely be seen, because it was still thick with smoke, but they remembered where the doorway had been moments ago.

"Alright, let's do this," Ryu said, unsheathing his sword. He noted that Bae'run kept his right arm behind his back, likely to ready a concealed dagger in the event of any much-expected danger.

"Good luck, travelers. Should you succeed I promise you that my bards will sing songs in your honor for generations. Should you fail," the king paused.

"We won't," Doel interrupted, as his short, stubby legs carried him into Castle Camlon. He pulled the large hammer that he had held on his back free and wielded it with two hands.

They had traveled through a few rooms - a hallway, a large room, and another hallway through a side door on the right - with relative ease but it wasn't long before Ryu realized that it was not smoke that filled the castle's corridors at all. It was mist.

Mist was a creation of the Dark Ones during the Goddess War. It was used to dampen any magic cast within its vicinity. The elves and the dwarves, however, were totally immune to it all together. Humans, and only pure-blooded ones at that, were the only ones susceptible to the mists power.

During the war, thousands of humans died because of the mist. The most powerful magi were the most vulnerable. They would become covered in boils due to long exposure. Some humans, though, were completely unharmed by the mist and their magic worked perfectly fine. It was never truly understood why but legends told that it was the goddess Myria herself who had come to devour them for their sins.

And there Ryu was, in the middle of the mist. Would the goddess come for him, as the tales said? He wasn't a sorcerer by any means and, according to those tales, it only attacked those that were magically inclined so he really doubted it, but it scared him none-the-less.

It meant their was a Dark One in the castle.

Ryu's attention was grabbed by something rather large that ran directly in front of him but his vision was blurred by the mist so he failed to see it entirely. Bae'run drew his dagger and spun around because he felt something moving behind him. Then the third one came in that caught Ryu completely off guard.

The large creature snarled as it tackled him to the ground and Ryu lost his grip on his sword. He heard it slide off to the side somewhere.

"Bout damn time we had some fun!" Doel shouted as he smashed his large blackened steel hammer into one of the creatures shoulders. The swinging of his hammer also pushed some of the mist away from the battlefield and they got their first good look at their attackers.

They were members of the Warhog clan. All members of the clan were of a race of the same name. Their most notable features were their fat bellies and their pig faces but, despite their appearance, they were rather agile.

All three, which stood as tall as any human, held a thick stick of some kind of wood, aptly named Whislewood, which, naturally, seemed to whistle as it moved. Ryu observed just that, not for the first time in his life, as the one who pinned him down swung the stick towards his head. He rolled his head to the side and barely avoided the attack.

He kneed the warhog in the gut and it barely phased him, his fat blocking any real damage the attack could have caused, and the creature laughed in reply. He went to swing his whistling stick again but this time Ryu was prepared.

Ryu kneed the creature again in its fat stomach but he timed it correctly this attempt. The strike broke the warhogs concentration at the last second and when that happened, Ryu wasted no time. He introduced his thumbs to the creatures eyes and pushed with all his might. He heard a pop behind his right thumb and a shriek of utter agony fell suit.

Suddenly it was silent.

The mist thickened and Ryu could hear three faint sets of footsteps running in the distance, one of them accompanied by painful whimpers. As he made his way to a wall, to help guide himself in the overly foggy area, Ryu kicked something and heard metal scrape across the stone floor.

His sword, he realized as he blindly searched the ground, finding it just as their attackers returned.

He tried to reach for it but his attackers came on too quick. He was saved only by a large thump that must have been Doel's hammer crashing into one of the Warhog's bodies and he heard the creature fall to the ground shortly after.

At that moment, the other two attacks bared down on Bae'run and Doel. The elf grabbed the Whistlewood stick aimed for his face and redirected it before it was able to connect. He spun under the weight of four or five hundred pounds falling upon him, but used the creatures own force to overthrow him, but the Warhog refused to let go of his weapons and quickly got back to his feet.

Ryu grabbed the sword finally and finished the job, stabbing where he had heard the beast fall and, from the sound of its gargling, he guessed that he pierced its throat.

That was when Ryu began to feel as if he was set on fire. He screamed in agony as the feeling started in his hands and the pain pulsed throughout the rest of his body almost instantly.

"Ryu!" the Bae'run yelled, unable to help him as he dealt with his own problems.

"I can't see anything!" answered Doel for the boy, who couldn't stop his screaming long enough to reply himself. "Maybe it's another warhog?"

"No. I would have heard them," Bae'run explained. Elves rarely missed a sound with their large ears.

The fighting continued, as did Ryu's cries. Doel's attacker - the one whom Ryu had earlier taken out his right eye - was proving especially difficult for the dwarf. Every swing of his hammer seemed to be blocked by the creatures fat belly, and he couldn't seem to gain any ground. Bae'run, however, had managed to knock one of the Whistlewood sticks from his own assailant's hand with the use of his second dagger, which he had pulled free some time after he had flipped the first warhog the group had slain.

"Maybe it's some kind of spell?" Doel suggested, as he was smacked in his cheek by both Whistlewood sticks simultaneously.

"No... The mist would prevent that." His concentration broken, he lost one of his daggers, which was sent flying across the room, from focusing on his injured ally. "It has to be the mist itself!"

Ryu's screaming stopped, almost as if on cue.

"Ryu? You there?" Doel asked, still blinded by the dense mist, though his latest hammer swing hit it's mark regardless. The Warhog's skull sounded like it cracked under the hammer's pressure, and it fell lifeless to the floor, but Ryu never answered. "Got ya', ya' fat bastard!"

Doel, now free from battle, ran to check on his friend. As expected, he found him unconscious or dead - he couldn't tell which - but the sound of his beating heart suggested it was the former.

The elf, meanwhile, was still dealing with his attacker. The final Warhog had managed to find his Whistlewood stick, but Bae'run had failed to find his own dagger.

"You will not stop us, elf!" the Warhog said with his surprisingly high-pitched voice.

"You oaf's can talk?" Doel cut in, but fell silent the moment that Ryu began to scream in pain again, but he was partly thankful that he had at least regained consciousness.

The Warhog only laughed in response and charged again towards Bae'run. He put up a fight at first, but then he could hear the sound of other footsteps approaching. Many footsteps. It sounded like a small army, and so Bae'run thought it might be better to try a little diplomacy.

"What is it you want with this town?"

"I want nothing, silly elf. Nothing but the will of my master."

"And who would that be?" Doel chimed in.

"Oh, you'll meet them soon enough." He paused a moment to let it sink in. "Bind their hands and take them to the Commander. This one," he pointed to Ryu as the fog was pushed aside by the small armies arrival, which was only about a dozen warhogs really. "Take him to see Frog. He'll want to know about this latest development!"

That was the last time Bae'run and Doel would see Ryu.

Hours later, Ryu awoke to being prodded by the one-eyed Warhog whom he fought earlier. Apparently, he hadn't died, but his head was heavily bandaged and Ryu could tell from his remaining eye that he intended to reap his revenge that day.

"You owe me an eye Blue Boy," he grumbled.

"Enough, Varokk... Leave us!" A deep, sinister voice bellowed. Ryu was extremely surprised when he turned around to see an ordinary frog. A talking frog, none-the-less, with authority over a dozen or so members of the Warhog clan. He couldn't help but think of how odd the sight was.

"Ahh... Where are my manners? My name is Ixis, but those ignorant warts find it amusing to simply call me Frog. Don't let my appearance deceive you, friend," he informed Ryu after he noticed him staring. "I am in reality one of the greatest minds to ever affiliate themselves with the Dark Ones. This was merely a curse placed upon me by the villagers defending this town. A curse that I intend to cure today."

"And just how do you plan on doing that?"

"With your blood of course!" Ryu had never before seen a frog grin, and the sight made him want to wretch.

"Where are my friends? And whatdoes my blood have to do with all this?"

"Well, your friends _were_ here. They've since been escorted to Nanai for execution because they are _traitors_!" He seemed to place so much hatred in that last word.

"So why wasn't I taken with them?"

"There is something about you, boy." The frog looked Ryu up and down, an odd sight for a frog. "The mist should not have affected you the way that it did, and I wish to know why. You are no sorcerer. As I said, something about you is different and I hope the same can be said of your blood. "

"What are talking about?"

"I am a scientist, of sorts. I have spent the better part of my life studying the mist for the Dark Ones," the frog explained. "You see, the mist targets those with exceptional abilities in the fields of arcane magic, and it uses that power against them. As I said, you are no sorcerer and so I wish to know why the mist would target you and how it is doing so."

"But you didn't even know we were coming," Ryu asked confused. "Hell, we didn't even know until we first arrived and found out that Camlon, too, had been occupied by Dark One _scum!" He spit in the direction of the frog, and a few bits of spittle landed on the animals forehead._

_"Slimeless humans!" Ixis screamed, his composure gone in an instant. "Enough talk... I'll just show you first hand! Guards!"_

_Two Warhog clan members entered the room, as Ryu finally became aware of his surroundings. He was in what he guessed was the throne room, before Ixis had overtaken the castle. It had appeared to be the point of some scuffle prior to Ryu''s awakening. Several paintings dotted the wall that had been torn, and in some cases partially burned. A few chairs were toppled over, that had probably been thrown from where two tables sat across from the rooms center-piece, but the only real relevant feature was the large golden throne in the center of the room that Ixis had been seated on. That, if it had once been toppled, was now placed back in its original position._

_The two Warhogs, one of which was Varokk, grabbed Ryu by his underarms and carried him into the adjacent room, hidden behind the throne. His hands were bound by a thick cord that couldn't be broken simply by brute strength, which Ryu had little of at this point anyway. The room that they entered appeared to be a laboratory of sorts, with beakers and flasks abound throughout the shelves that covered three of the rooms walls._

_"I suppose this would answer a few of your questions," the frog known as Ixis explained with a smirk. "This is the reason why I took Camlon in the first place." When Ryu still didn't seem to understand, be continued. "The tools I will need to run my experiments. You stumbling upon me in my castle was simply chance. Or perhaps a blessing from Myria, herself. It matters little really." His creepy smile faded. "Strap this wretch into the chair."_

_Frog, because at that moment Ryu decided that he too would no longer call him by his actual name, hopped into the room behind them. He began to ruffle through some of the flasks until he seemed to find one particular vial of interest. He pulled it from the shelves and hopped down to he floor, where he began examining it. The boy still couldn't get over how odd this had all seemed, a frog barking orders and holding up a vial to inspect its contents. As Ryu's restraints were cut and retied to the arms of the chair, he noticed that the flask contained a thick orange liquid that seemed to glow a golden light._

_"Liquid Chrysm," Frog explained, as he held the vial up to the light coming in through one of the rooms two open windows. "It has the power to absorb any form of magic, curses aside, from whoever ingests it. Whatever it may be that is causing the mist to affect you, this will attract it into your blood stream much like a magnet attracts steel." He hopped on top of Ryu's shoulder and popped the cork stopper._

_"Open wide, boy!" One of the guards forced him to open his mouth and Frog dumped the vials contents down his captive's throat. Then he hopped from Ryu's shoulder, to the top of the table that was positioned next to the chair he was restrained in. _

_Frog grabbed a syringe from amongst the tools that laid on top of the table and jumped back onto Ryu, his lap this time, and taunted him with the needle. His teasing-fit didn't last long, however, as Frog quickly thrust the needle into Ryu's thigh and began to draw blood into another empty vial attached to the syringe._

_That was when Ryu noticed that his blood had the same golden glow that the vial had had moments ago._

_"Sit tight, Ryu. I'm going to go run some tests. Don't go anywhere, okay?" Frog laughed to himself as he walked away. The guards, however, didn't follow him, and they rarely moved their eyes, or in Varrok's case eye, from their prisoner._

_It seemed like an eternity to Ryu but he couldn't say how long Frog had been gone from the room but he didn't intend to be waiting for him when he got back. The guards had switched a few times since Frog had left and the two that watched after him now, seemed otherwise occupied. They were playing some sort of card game at one of the round tables they had moved from the throne room into in to the room they now occupied._

_The one had a pet sitting on his lap. A large semi-ovular shaped insect known as a pill bug. As insects go, they were actually kind of cute, despite his current circumstances. And as innocent as they looked, they were actually extremely dangerous. Ryu also knew that three other pill bugs were somewhere else in the laboratory, but he could see them at that moment._

_The one guard gently petted the creatures carapace as the other Warhog decided on his next move in the card game. He eventually played his hand, and though Ryu knew little about the game they played, he could tell from the ones reactions that the hand wasn't good enough. He jumped up in a fit of rage and actually toppled the table over in the process. The pill bug that sat on the winners lap scuttled away in fear._

_"There's no way you could've held onto that hand without cheating!"_

_"I assure you, I didn't. And I won... So go get the wretch his food. I want to take a nap," he laughed at his victory like it was the funniest thing in the world. Clearly, they were gambling away their duties._

_The loser stalked out of the room in a fit, and the winner leaned back in his chair and rested his eyes. It wasn't long before the guard was asleep and eventually Ryu spotted all four pill bugs who seemed as if they were playing hide-and-seek with each other. _

_Ryu had been told by his grandmother that the insects had the intelligence of a young dog and they could be trained to do a few tricks, but they especially loved to play. They are known to curl up into balls and roll around, bumping into each other for hours on end. According to scientists it was some kind of mating ritual, though it looked to Ryu like they were playing rather than courting each other._

_That was when the idea hit Ryu. He could use one of them as a ball, if he could time the kick well enough, and use it to knock over a shelf or two. Where the one guard was sitting, if he aimed well enough, he could hope to knock it on top of him, though how he would get out of his bindings afterwards he had no idea._

_It took a bit of waiting, but eventually one of the pill bugs got close enough to be able to attempt it. He missed his mark and the pill bug went flying out of the lab and into the throne room. Damn, he thought. At least he didn't wake the guard in the process._

_A while later, he tried again and this time he hit the shelf, and, though it didn't knock the shelf over, it did knock a few flasks of unknown liquid off of it. One of the flasks shattered on the unsuspecting Warhogs face, who awoke in agony. His screams would surely send the other guards in to check within a few minutes, so whatever Ryu planned to do next he knew it had to happen fast._

_That was when it happened. By sure chance of luck, the somewhat intelligent pill bugs had learned that Ryu was a threat to them. The three remaining bugs began to spit a corrosive fluid from their mandibles and Ryu moved his hands and legs as much as he could to try to prevent it from landing on him and to get it to instead land on the ropes that bound him. It took a few minutes to get the positioning right but eventually both hands were free, even though they were badly injured from the acid-like saliva that had hit him despite his best efforts._

_He quickly ran into the throne room and gathered his things; his cloak, satchel, and sheathed sword. Just as he finished clasping the sheath to his belt, the first wave of Warhog guards ran into the room. His visibility here was perfect, so they wouldn't be able to use the same guerrilla tactics they had earlier, and Ryu wasted no time._

_By the moment the guards realized that Ryu had been not only free, but armed as well, one of them had already taken a sword slash to the throat and another pierced through the chest. A third one came down on Ryu with his Whistlewood sticks raised high and Ryu sliced the weapons down to half of their original size. The Warhog continued forward anyway, dropping the sticks altogether, and tackling Ryu. They rolled for a bit and Ryu ended up elbowing the pig-man in his already-short nose, which started to bleed profusely. With his opponent distracted, he grabbed his sword - which had again fallen from his hands during the wrestling - and slammed the butt end of it into the Warhogs temple. He was unconscious and on the ground by the time that Ryu noticed three more guards rushing in, one of which was Varokk._

_Ryu had made his way to the throne room at that point and charged straight for the stairs that led down and into the main hallways of the castle, and tackled one of the guards in the process. The two stumbled down the stairwell, the Warhog taking the brunt of the damage, and Ryu thanked the Goddess Myria when they landed at the bottom with him on top. He couldn't imagine it would feel too good to be crushed by six-hundred pounds of lard._

_Conscious, but unable to move from the pain, the Warhog laid their helpless as Ryu began to interrogate him._

_"Where the hell is the frog!"_

_"He.. should be... in the lab!" he stuttered._

_"No lies." He placed his sword to the immobile pig-man's throat. "Or you swallow this."_

_"Honestly... He's in the lab! N...n...not the one you were in. There's another one on this floor. I... I... can take you there!" he suggested._

_Varokk and the other guard came rushing down the steps just in time to catch the exposed guards act of treason._

_"Enough games..." Varokk explained, as he pulled a large battle axe from a clasp on his back. Ryu removed the point of his sword from his current opponents neck. The way he saw it, he had bigger fish to fry._

_Ryu charged straight for Varokk, but side-stepped at the last second to catch the other Warhog unaware. His sword split the beasts gut right across the middle and he tried to hold his own innards in, to no avail. That was when Ryu began to notice the pain in the palm of his right hand, ever burning, from the pill bugs corrosive spit._

_Varokk used that opportunity to strike out, but Ryu parried his attack to the ground. Sparks flew from the axe's impact on the stone surface and Ryu was pushed back a foot or so from the force of his attack. He stepped forward anyway, and threw a boot directly into Varokk's chest, which sent him tumbling backward. The warhog quickly recovered, however, and swung his axe with full force once he regained his composure. _

_He missed his target though and that was the mistake that would cost him his life._

_He overstepped and it threw him off balance, his axe again crashing into the ground, but before he could regain his stance Ryu had already pierced his shoulder with his blade. He let out a scream and Ryu could hear the scraping of steel on bone as he started to pull the blade from Varokk's shoulder._

_"Enough games..." antagonized Ryu, mimicking Varrok's own words. He couldn't celebrate long, however, as the sound of laughter filled the room._

_"You no longer have reason to be in my castle, pest..."_

_"Frog?"_

_"Your blood is marvelous... I can feel it coursing through my veins as we speak. Healing what needs to be healed," and as he spoke those words, Ryu could see them ringing true. He still looked much like a frog, but he had somewhat regained his humanoid appearance. He was overweight, pretty close to the size of the Warhog clan members, but he still kept his frog-like appearance though now he was able to comfortably stand on two legs._

_"Guess it wasn't strong enough to heal all of the warts though?" Ryu asked sarcastically._

_"Get... out... of... my... castle!" he shouted and then Ryu could feel the immense energy emanating from his body, which began to glow with the same golden hue that the liquid chrysm had had. It pulsed off of him and his body began to shake under the force. A long tuft of orange hair grew from his head and stood straight up, making him look the part of the mad scientist that he so clearly was. Large thorn-like growths began to sprout from where his shoulders were, giving them the appearance of a spiked mace. His body mass began to grow rapidly and he hunched forward again, looking more like the original frog than the humanoid form Ryu had barely seen, albeit much fatter._

_"The anger!" he began to cackle maniacally. "It make's me stronger!"_

_"What the..." Ryu was at a loss for words._

_"Oh, Ryu... You have no idea, do you?" the monstrous Frog asked him, though Ryu was just as confused as he had expected. "There is so much wonder inside of that blood of yours. One as potent as you has not been seen for generations. Not since the fall of your once-great emperor Long!"_

_"What in the hell are you talking about, you fool?" he shouted at the monster, no idea who he was referring to or where he was going with his babbling. Clearly, whatever had happened to him had driven him mad._

_"You think you can drive me out? Go ahead, try!"_

_At that, he launched himself forward, pinning Ryu against the nearest wall. The monstrous Frog licked his lips with his massive tongue, taunting Ryu. Clearly, he intended to make him his meal tonight._

_Ryu responded by grabbing the tongue from the creatures mouth and pulling on it as hard as he could. It didn't really do any damage, but it caused Frog to bounce off of Ryu, and the tongue darted back into Frog's mouth. He quickly finished pulling the blade from Varokk's shoulder, who by now had more than likely died from the weight of the monstrous creature than from the sword wound._

_Ryu held it out in front of him with determined vigor. Frog bounded for him again, but this time Ryu managed to get out of the way in time. He side-stepped but Frog continued his assault. Despite his weight, the creature moved with surprising speed and as he dodged the beasts second pounce, Frog spun about and spit in his direction._

_Ryu avoided two of the projectiles, but a third struck him dead in the chest. He realized then, albeit too late, that it wasn't spit but smoldering balls of a dark purple fire that were being aimed straight for him. He flew into the gray stone wall and grabbed his chest in agony, as it burned through his clothing, and seared the leather that protected him._

_Frog continued his attack, using his long tongue as a spear and smacking Ryu in the right shoulder. He used the strength in his tongue muscle to hold him down as the rest of his body bounced toward his prey to catch up. Ryu slashed at the tongue but Frog retracted it just in time. The creature tried to smack him with his tongue again, this time in the face, but Ryu rolled out of the way before it could connect, and it hit the stone wall behind where we once stood instead._

_Ryu stopped for a moment to take in his surroundings. Nothing but a few candles to light the nearby hallway were in reach but as he looked around the room, he noticed that Frog had stopped all of his jumping and remained suspiciously still. His eyes were closed and the thick mist that covered the lower section of the castle seemed to roll into the room from the hallway. The mist was thickest closer to the ground, but visibility was still low enough that Ryu could barely make out the enormous Frog's chaotic movements._

_It was then that Ryu began to feel the burning throughout his body that the mist had caused earlier but this time it didn't come on as intense. The burning was focused only inside of his head, but it began to feel like his brain was on fire. He felt the pain coming on stronger but he tried his best to control himself. The pain ended just as quickly as it had started, and Ryu had noticed a warm feeling flush downward from his forehead. He felt where it had hurt and he couldn't see it, but he could feel the warm blood on his fingertips._

_Frog had not even made a move, of that much he was certain, and the knowledge of some other unknown enemy in the room terrified him ever more than he already was._

_Ryu ran back up the stairs that he had come down earlier to try and avoid the mist yet it seemed to follow him alongside the monstrous scientist. When he got to the top, he ran for the laboratory that he was held captive in earlier, looking for anything he could use. There were hundreds of vials all over the place, but he had no idea what they were. He was worried that they could cause just as much harm as help. He couldn't take that chance, but he had one more idea._

_The pill bugs scurried about the room, terrified from the commotion the fighting had caused. Ryu took extra care not to scare them any more than he had already, but he readied his sword in anticipation of Frog's eminent attack. He busted through the doorway, bringing parts of the stone wall down as he bounded through the opening. That, alone, was enough to push the pill bugs over the edge and all four of them - the fourth one had apparently returned at some point - began spitting their corrosive spit in the direction of the doorway._

_Frog spit more fire balls in response but the bugs were just too small a target to hit easily, and they constantly rolled around in their ball-like state making them all-the-more difficult to hit. What it did, however, was provide the distraction that Ryu so desperately needed. He ran for the beast, sword held low, and brought the blade up into the creatures throat. He heard his gargling and forced the blade even farther up into monsters head, aiming for what he thought was Frog's brain._

_"I..." he could barely speak with the sword in his mouth. "Under...esti...mated..." He fell over, gargling on his own blood, and never finished his sentence._

_Almost instantly, Ryu could feel the foul air that was filled with the mist filtering out of the castle, and the fresh air blowing in from the windows took it's place. Out of nowhere, the castle began to shake violently, and several of the flasks began to fall from their shelves, breaking all over the place. The pill bugs ran from the room in fear, and Ryu thought it best that he do the same. As he looked out one of the windows in passing, he noticed two very large dragons fly east across the river, towards Nanai._

_"It's time somebody put this Emperor in his place..." he said to no one but himself._

_Shortly after, Ryu made his way out of the castle. He was greeted by the same people who had told him about the castles usurper. The entire village, or what remained actually, had gathered outside of the castle to shout cheers of victory._

_"You defeated the monsters!" the king of Camlon praised. "You are our savior!" The crowd roared in approval. "Just... who are you?"_

_Ryu never answered. He continued walking towards the crowd. He didn't get far before the king placed his hand on the blue-haired boy's shoulder. Ryu turned to look the king directly in the eye, and the king noticed something that he hadn't when he had met the boy earlier that day._

_"That scar..." he said, pointing to the mark of Ryu's forehead. "It looks familiar."_

_"This thing?" Ryu's asked, touching the spot on his head that had bled for no apparent reason. "It's just a scratch." Though in reality, Ryu was curious about it too, but he didn't want to spend any more time in Camlon. He had a sister to save. And so he continued walking towards the town gates._

_"Everyone, clear a path!" the king commanded, and they did as they were told. The large group parted and made way for Ryu to walk through, although he had to hold his chest from the burn he suffered earlier. As he walked through the crowd, he heard them whispering and gossiping. All of which, naturally, was about him, and that brought a cocky smile back to Ryu's face._

_He was almost to the towns gates when, again, the ground began to tremble. He had hoped earlier that it was merely just due to structural damage from the fight with Frog, but that seemed highly unlikely now._

_"The Quake Control..." one of the guards at the towns entrance mumbled._

_"What?"_

_"The Quake Control. It's a machine that causes Edenia's tectonic plates to violently shift, basically turning an earthquake into an effective weapon," the guard explained. He grabbed Ryu by the arm. "Please, I have family in Nanai."_

_Ryu never officially answered him, but the nod he did give was all that was needed. It kind of upset him slightly, because other things kept getting in the way of him finding his sister, but it wasn't like he was really heading out of his way. And as the day's went on, Ryu only grew to despise the Dark Ones and their Emperor Zog all the more._


End file.
